Nights In Paradise

But I’m not that man.  When I touch her, taste her…I lose my mind and my self-control flies out the window.

But I sure as hell would never deliberately hurt her.

I pull her behind me and then stop to pick up her robe.  “Put that on.  There’s no way any other man is going to see what’s mine,” I grunt.

“I’m not yours…” her eyes widen and her voice trails off again when I hit her with a fierce glare.  I’m barely controlling myself here.

“Don’t finish that sentence.  You belong to me.  You’re my queen.  And nobody dares to leave a mark on the queen but the king.  Let’s go.”

I drag her out into the hall and then the club.  Men scream and throw money onto the stage for the dancers  and I grunt.  I nod to the men standing along the wall.  It’s quiet so they’re not having to watch too close.  So they’re bullshitting.  Which normally doesn’t bother me but right now I want to kill someone and that’s just pouring salt in the wound.

I see her head nod towards one of my oldest bouncers.  He’s been with me for a long time.  Obviously too long if he thinks he can manhandle my princess.

I stalk across the dim room and thrust her into a chair.  “Sit.  Don’t move.”

Her full lips tighten and she opens them to say something.

“Don’t say it.  Just stay.”

I stalk up to Henry and punch him in the stomach just as he’s smiling at me.  He drops to one knee and coughs and groans.  “What the hell, boss!”

“You touched her,” I grit out between my teeth, my jaw clenched so tight that I can almost hear my bones crack.

He glances over to Aspen and his face pales.  “No..I…”

I cock my hand back and growl, “are you calling her a liar?”

“No, no.  I think it’s just a misunderstanding.  I didn’t mean to touch her.  I was just trying to get her to follow me to the private dressing room, boss,” he babbles.

“I don’t give a fuck what you were doing.  You don’t fucking touch the dancers and especially not that one.”  My hot eyes rake up and down his quivering figure.  “I should kill you and dump your body but I’m busy right now.  And you’ve been a decent employee up until now.  But I will not have you touching anybody here and leaving marks.  Get your shit and get the hell out of my sight before I decide to go ahead and kill you anyway.”

“Sure, boss.”  He scuttles away and I turn to the rest of the bouncers standing there with their mouths open.

“Anybody else want a piece of me?”

A chorus of no’s and shaking heads is my answer.  “I mean it.  Don’t touch the girls.  Ever.”  I point over to Aspen’s shaking form.   “Especially not that one.”

“Got it, boss.”

I lift her up from the chair and carry her back to my office.  I see Carmine off to the side, his jaw tight and his ebony eyes narrowed.

Fuck!  I was hoping to lead up to the problem slowly.  But it looks like I’m going to have to piss him off quicker than I expected.

But there’s no way in hell I’m marrying his daughter when my heart belongs to the shuddering angel in my arms.